The Edward Kolety Fishing Challenge is on again this February.
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Kolety is the Indigenous name for the Edward River
The fishing challenge focuses on catch-and-release fishing for Murray cod and yellow belly.
The event, on from February 7 to 9, is capped at 300 entrants, with 100 sponsors and up to 100 kids participating.
The event has a proven track record of success, having raised an impressive $30,000 in the past two years.
This money has been used for river restocking and community projects, making a tangible difference in the local area.
Edward Kolety Fishing Challenge event coordinator Andrew Jefferies is proud the event has helped bring back the eel-tailed catfish to the local waters.
“Fish aren’t breeding in the river naturally and coming down through the natural breeding course from Menindee Lakes through the Darling and into our river system,” he said.
“There are so many weirs, locks and blockades in the way now.
“So, we are trying to rejuvenate and boost the numbers.
“We are probably focusing on yellow belly this year.
“We have put about 36,000 yellow belly in two years and about 12,000 catfish back into the river in the last couple of years.
“Hopefully, we have brought eel-tailed catfish back from extinction.
“They are breeding locally again, which they haven’t been because of the stinking carp, but we are getting back on top of it.”
The challenge is a catch-and-release event.
Entrants take a photo of the legal native fish they have caught with their entry tag on their brag mat and text the picture to the challenge.
There are prizes for the largest native fish caught over the weekend, but all other prizes are random draws, so everybody has a chance to go home with the major prize of an Angiapro STL395 from Deniliquin Yamaha.
If you don’t want to fish but would like to come along, everyone is welcome to come to Deniliquin Memorial Park on Friday night, participate in the festivities, buy a raffle ticket and join in on the family fun.
On Friday night there will be music, food and kids’ entertainment.
For more information and to be one of the 300 entrants, go to www.edwardfishingchallenge.com.au
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